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As hurricane Sandy continues to ravage homes, my heart is pulled towards wanting to help those struggling through the anguish of their trauma and crisis. 50 dead. Billions in homes, business, roads and more are gone. Many more will die in the coming days, through disease or accidents through rehabilitating the area. The storm is subsiding, but the pain is just setting in.

Last week I received training through Foursquare Chaplaincy International to be a part of their Disaster Response Teams. This morning I received my first call to action:

We are asking those that can deploy to respond to this e-mail. What we are asking for on your e-mail is where you are located now and how soon you can deploy… Please keep in mind as stated above there is massive power outages and will be more to come. Most airports are shutdown at this time as well. Travel to the area will be difficult.

I have a very important trip to Seattle next week, and leaving right now would be very difficult. But my heart is in the NE. When I went through our training, I could feel a stir in my soul. I love to help people in crisis (especially dangerous and physically demanding situations). We have many people in crisis right now. They need our help.

Our church is developing a strategy and budget for helping people in times of disaster. This is a growing passion for me, and the more I recognize the roots of my faith, the more I discover the beauty that exists in the body of Christ responding to crisis.

In the third century, Christians were the primary care providers for those stricken with plague. I’ve read stories about family members throwing their dying into the street in hopes of not catching the disease. Many fled the cities, while Christians stayed by their side. What a horrible site, with death and dying everywhere. What a beautiful site, with hope and compassion everywhere.

I don’t even have my “Foursquare Chaplains” shirt yet. I don’t have the money to travel. I trust in God to send me where he needs me, and to be patient when I cannot leave. My heart is with the broken. God’s heart is with the broken.

Sixteen hours of training between yesterday and today is helping me to understand disaster response. The Foursquare Chaplaincy program is providing a two-day training on disaster response. I’m in Anthem, Arizona with my wife, Ryan and Selena Frederick.

When we reviewed the “Personality Profile” for a Foursquare chaplain, it would read something like this:

“Seeking adventurous team-player who demonstrates compassion and understanding of human limits. Must have fortitude in times of chaos and crisis, and be willing to share the love of Christ with people who are experiencing the most horrific challenges life brings.”

Being a little crazy helps. Sign me up.

Nobody wants to see the world burn. But when it does, chaplains grab their “go bags” and deal with psychological and spiritual trauma. The fire on the ground might be out, but the fire in their minds is just beginning to rage. I’ve always had an ability to keep my cool in the midst of chaos, and frankly, I love to help people who are at their worst. Several times in my own life I have had someone minister to me in a moment of helplessness. The calm of a hand on my arm. The right question. A blanket.

Luke 10:35 “The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’”

The church should always, ALWAYS respond to people in crisis. When other people are running away, we should be running in. Preparation is key, and that’s why Desert Foursquare Church is taking steps now to serve. In the story of the Good Samaritan, the first two people to pass the man in the ditch were religious (the priest and the Levite). It would be easy to focus on “churchy” things, but that’s not what the body of Christ does.

I want to share my gratitude with our church family. Thank you for investing in disaster response. My thanks also to Jay Donnelly and Robby Booth for running such an incredible program and training. Thanks to Grace Church in Anthem for being incredible hosts. Thank you Desert Foursquare for making the investment in the four of us.

A friend and mentor wrote a short blog post today about measuring success in a kingdom-purposed organization. Dr. Scott Rodin writes:

“Consider the ways that organizations talk about themselves and measure success. While not-for-profit ministries may pride themselves on leading with mission-focused accomplishments, true success is almost always measured in financial terms. Pastors talk to other pastors about the size of their congregation, the success of the latest building project and whether they’re giving has gone up or down. Presidents of Christian schools, colleges and universities speak to alumni in terms of growing enrollment, new academic buildings and an increasing endowment. Owners of businesses speak to shareholders about profits, reinvestment and share prices. And for each of these, whether the pastor of a small church, the president of a community not-for-profit organization or the owner of a growing business, the financial success of their respective organization reflects heavily on their own self-image and reputation.”

I read this post right on the heals of reading a chapter today from Hugh Halter’s Tangible Kingdom, in which Hugh challenges the paradigm of Christian success. He builds a case for how we measure outcomes of faith, values, relationships, influence and success. It’s the success metrics I’m most interested in, because both Scott and Hugh are pushing in the same direction. Hugh charts his case for success on page 78:

Our metrics for success in church and para-church work is changing. I see a revolution, a sort of healthy rebellion against the product-oriented (or postmodern justification) organizations of yesteryear and the expectations of transformation from what Hugh and others are calling the “missional” church.

We’ve wrestled with this at both organizations I work with, Rooftop 519 and Desert Foursquare Church. Both organizations quantify very different things that are important, like the number of kids we help bring to healing or the number of people who attend a service. But these are not the key metrics. Hugh sums up Christian transformation in the last words of the “Paradigm” chapter:

“These people will be making eternity attractive by how they live such selfless lives now, and will be modeling life in a New Kingdom in ways that will make it easy for other people to give it a try. People like this aren’t desperate to convert everyone; they are desperate to be like Christ and to be where Christ is. Their heartbeat (sic) to be transformed into the image of Christ, and to pray and work for little specks of transformation in everyone and everything they touch. Success is faithfulness. The rest is up to God.

Those last few words really get me going. Measuring transformation in everyone and everything. Dr. Rodin concludes his blogs with this thought, “He seeks our obedience and faithfulness, not financial success.” That could sound to some like a cop-out, to me it sounds like a rally cry.

Given a week to reflect on the Exodus Experience has helped me to more deeply love the people in the body of Christ. Last Thursday evening we hosted a music and art festival, celebrating the healing of our first patients through Rooftop 519. It was amazing

We had six acts, a dozen artists and photographers, and most of our volunteers onsite for the event in Puyallup, Washington (it’s pronounced pew-AL-up, and it’s a Northwestern Indian name for “Land of the Generous People”). We celebrated with over 600 people from 5 until almost 9, playing music, laughing, eating and creating some great art (at least, the artists created great art… the rest of us either watched or pretended that we were back in 2nd grade).

I’d like to share some principles of what happened.

Joyful Giving

There was no ticket price, no long speeches and no bidding wars (although a silent-auction guitar painted by one of our artists went for $500!). As a fund-gathering event, it wasn’t all that great. We brought in around $12,000, with a couple more people who are making pledges. Each gift we received is greatly appreciated, but the people who gave would have likely given regardless of whether or not we hosted the ExEx. I’m truly grateful for all who partner with us financially.

As a classically, professionally-trained fundraiser (I have a degree from the University of Washington to prove it!), I understand how to create an event that pulls in money. I know the recipe for how to get the right people to the right event and ask in the right way. What I am learning is how to let God provide what we need while doing things his way, and God is always less concerned with money than he is with people. On the scale of money and people, there is no single person whose worth is not greater than all of the riches of the world. Relationship is the prize.

I Corinthians 9:7,8 “Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;”

In fundraising we rarely encourage people to let God move in the heart of the giver. Sure, we give them 30 seconds after a an entertaining night, a good meal and a well-scripted appeal (in which we strategically get “our donors” to cry three times and laugh five), but how often do we really pray for each person? Do we really care more about what God is doing in their heart than we do about the amount of money they can give to our cause? Pardon me while I go back and re-read the scripture above.

Inclusiveness

About 45 of our 130 volunteers prayed together at 4:45. A few last-minute “helpers” included Mike, a homeless man who loves Jesus, and Amanda, a severely disabled car-accident victim who loves talking, poetry, food and Jesus (maybe even in that order, but I’m pretty sure God has enough grace for sweet Amanda).

Our Rooftop 519 board chair told me that Mike, “…prayed so hard he must have left a dent in the gates of heaven-he squeezed my hands so hard he left dents in them.”

Luke 14:21 “The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.'”

James 2:3 “and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and you say to the poor man, “You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,” 4 have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives?

On Thursday night, everyone was welcome to the party.

Adventure

So many people were able to travel from distances to be a part of our celebration. Our team of three came from SoCal, including our 19 year-old intern Danny who had never flown. Check out his short video here.

Our Artists Inspiring Action friends came up from Portland for the day. They loaded their car with stretchers, paint, backpacks, cameras and more in order to celebrate with us. There was an incredible spirit of adventure during the entire event, which always excites me. When I think of the four guys who carried their friend to the great physician, the story never seems complete without imagining what the walk home was like for the five of them. The awe, hope, wonder and miracle that comes with being touched by the Great Physician.

When our patient Astrid went home to Ecuador, her family and friends celebrated for at least three days. I experienced a great sense of meaning during our celebration of three hours. Our busy American churches have forgotten the art of a good party, and an adventure with a purpose.

A teaser here – Rooftop 519 and Artists Inspiring Action are plotting to do something together in February at the Justice Conference in February. It’s going to be awesome.

Justice

One of the greatest injustices we face, IMHO, is the unreasonable expectation that the church looks like our culturally shaped biases would dictate. The church is a wild thing, mostly incompatible with business best practices and hierarchy. Sure we can assign IRS recognition to religious organizations, and having principles in an organization are really important. What is absolutely critical is making sure that ecclesia, or the gathering of God’s people, is being the church regardless of a building or an IRS structure.

Anybody who believes in any faith fiercely will never agree with anyone completely, yet the thing we can all agree on is that we shouldbe the hands and feet of Christ. When we are his hands and feet, justice comes, because Christ brings it. Justice sometimes means sacrificing our sacred cows of business and giving the best steak to a homeless guy named Mike in Puyallup, while celebrating the healing of a legless girl named Astrid in Ecuador. Thursday night was a wild thing indeed. It was not a church. It was the church.

At my count, I ran into the following at the ExEx: Catholic, Lutheran, Atheist, de-churched believers, non-denominational believers, PCA, PCUSA, Foursquare, CMA, Baptist and Episcopal. And on that night, not a single denominational rift was felt (to my knowledge). What I did hope, and observe, was that those who didn’t know Jesus saw him in us (or more correctly, they saw us in Him).

1 Corinthians 3:18-19 “Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become “fools” so that you may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight.”

This verse relates directly to justice because our version of justice does not look like God’s. I would encourage you to read Generous Justice by Tim Keller. It’s a very intelligent and foolish book on the subject.

I want to close with a thought from Dr. R. Scott Rodin from his book The Steward Leader. “(Jesus) chose ill-prepared people who did not understand his mission; he so frequently spoke in veiled and unclear language that the people he came to lead seldom understood what he was saying, and most left him in frustration; he concealed his true mission from even his closest associates until the very end of his term; he angered those in authority who could have been an asset to his work; he made such outrageous claims about his abilities that all but a handful of followers turned against him; one of his own team members testified against him to the police; his closest friend denied he ever knew him; when he left for a time, his team was in total disarray and completely demoralized; and it was left to those who followed him to reassemble the team, recruit new members and build an organization.”

I want to be a fool for Jesus. I’d like to celebrate with his people, even the ones that will betray me. I want to be his hands and feet, especially to those who cannot repay me. I should be so lucky that I die while serving in his name, hopefully while carrying a child to the Great Physician.

This Thursday night, August 30, we are taking over Pioneer Park in Puyallup. We have over 100 volunteers making the Exodus Experience the best music & art festival in P-town this summer. The music starts at 5:19 with The Jake … Continue reading →